A Houston-area midwife, a clinic employee and a nurse practitioner were arrested after allegedly performing illegal abortions and operating clinics without a license, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Monday.
Maria Margarita Rojas, 48, allegedly performed illegal abortions, a second-degree felony in Texas, and practiced medicine without a license, according to Paxton. Rojas, known as “Dr. Maria,” allegedly ran multiple clinics in Northwest Houston where unlicensed individuals provided medical treatment, Paxton said Monday.
On Tuesday, Paxton announced the arrest of 29-year-old Jose Manuel Cendan Ley, who allegedly helped Rojas in providing at least one illegal abortion and performed “illegal medical procedures” at one of Rojas’ clinics. Ley is facing similar charges, according to Paxton.
Another man, 54-year-old Rubildo Labanino Matos, was arrested earlier this month in connection to the AG’s investigation. Paxton says Matos was a nurse practitioner whose license is currently on probation by the Texas Board of Nursing, which licenses nurses in Texas. He’s charged with conspiracy to practice medicine without a license, according to Paxton.
“Individuals killing unborn babies by performing illegal abortions in Texas will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and I will not rest until justice is served,” Paxton said in a statement on Tuesday. “I will continue to fight to protect life and work to ensure that anyone guilty of violating our state’s pro-life laws is held accountable.”
Paxton’s office also filed a temporary restraining order to shut down Rojas’ network of clinics — one in Waller, Cypress and Spring — to prevent further operations. Rojas was taken into custody in Waller County, just north of Houston. Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore, who referred the case to Paxton’s office, told The Texas Newsroom that he believed “every life is sacred,” prompting his office to refer the case to the AG’s office.
The case reportedly marks the first arrests to come from the state’s near-total abortion ban, which went into full effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
The ban — the result of three, overlapping state laws — has provided exceptions for abortions only when a mother’s life is at risk, but not for instances of rape or incest. Under this ban, performing an abortion was deemed a second-degree felony offense, which carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Paxton’s office can also seek at least $100,000 per violation for unlawful abortion procedures.
According to Brandon Rottinghaus, political science professor at the University of Houston, these arrests could test the boundaries of the law.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty right now with respect to the law, with respect to how the law would be applied in a criminal matter,” Rottinghaus said. “This is a test case to figure out how it’s gonna move going forward.”
Critics of the ban say these restrictions cause confusion and fear among medical professionals, making it harder for doctors to provide necessary care. Amy Hagstrom Miller, CEO of Whole Woman’s Health, said that for years now, “Texans have paid a high price for the abortion ban.”
A 2024 study from the Gender Equity Policy Institute found that the state’s maternal mortality rate shot up by 56% from 2019 to 2022 – before and after the ban went into effect. That’s compared to just an 11% increase nationwide during the same time period.
“Pregnant people are suffering,” Hagstrom Miller said. Speaking about legislators, she added: “How dare they call themselves people who are interested in protecting women’s healthcare when they have decimated reproductive health outcomes and pregnancy care throughout the state.”
This post was updated at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday with information about the additional charges.
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